DETROIT (WXYZ) — Tenisha Hawkins lost her daughter to gun violence one week ago on Thursday. Each day, she’s been trying to cope and process Jevon Miller's untimely death.
Miller, 19, was shot and killed after Detroit police say an altercation between her and her boyfriend escalated. It happened outside their apartment at the corner of Whitcomb and Tireman Avenue. Investigators said 22-year-old Virgil Dan Brown turned himself in.
“Never thought in a million years I hear a phone call like that. I watch it on TV, but never that I would actually have to experience it. Ever," Hawkins told 7 News Detroit.
She said of the suspect, “The fact that you left my baby outside like trash.”
Hawkins said Miller was anything but that. Hawkins said her daughter was working on becoming a nurse like herself and was full of life.
"She's very photogenic, very funny, she’s very loving. She loved everybody. Everybody that knew her knew she was a silly person, but she loved you — with all of her heart," she described.
Close to Miller’s heart was her 3-year-old son Christian. Police said Christian was also shot by Brown, his father.
“I can see in his face that he don’t have no remorse for what he did," Hawkins said.
Christian, who’s being treated at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, suffered critical injuries after being shot in the neck, but his loved ones say he is on the road to recovery.
"He's doing good," Hawkins said.
Linnette Johnson is the grandmother and great grandmother of the victims.
She said of Christian's progress, "Great. Thank God. I keep thanking God every day. The first thing, I wake up and thank God because he’s doing so much better.”
Johnson said she's praying Christian isn't paralyzed and that he doesn’t remember the incident that now has them raising a voice for Miller and others who may find themselves in an abusive relationship — be it physical or emotional.
“I wish I knew more. I wish she would have told me more to where I could help her,” Hawkins said.
Johnson advised, “A person who put they hands on you, they don’t love you. I don’t care what you say. A man that put the hands on a female is not… that’s not love."
"Absolutely not," Hawkins agreed. “If you see the signs, get away immediately. Tell somebody. Somebody needs to know.”
Brown is due back in court June 10 for his probable cause hearing.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or text START (88788).
